The World Methodist Council mourns the passing of long-time Education Committee member Prof. Dr. Almir de Souza Maia on May 27th in Piracicaba, SP, Brazil. Prof. Maia was a member of the Methodist Church of Brazil and was instrumental in founding the International Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges, and Universities (IAMASCU).

In addition to his work with the World Methodist Council, Prof. Maia was the third rector of one of the most prestigious universities in Brazil, the Methodist University of Piracicaba (UNIMEP). He was founder and first president of the Latin American Association of Institutions of Education Methodist (ALAIME), and served on the Council of Methodist Educational Institutions in Brazil (COGEIME).

Left to right: Dr. Ted Brown (President of IAMSCU until May 2014), Dr. Rokudzo Murapa (former president of IAMSCU), Dr. Almir de Souza Maia (honored) and Dr. Roger Ireson (former general secretary and former GBHEM President of IAMSCU) – Photo credit: metodista.org.br

Last year Maia was honored by IAMSCU with the Flame of Excellence: The Ken Yamada Distinguished Leadership Award in Hiroshima, Japan.

Maia is survived by his wife and four children.

Let us pray to God in gratitude for this life, and for comfort to his wife, children and family.

– Bishop Paulo Lockmann
President of the World Methodist Council
Methodist Church of Brazil

In Memoriam

As we mourn the loss of Professor Almir Maia and express our condolences to the Maia family, we also celebrate his life and give thanks to God for the opportunity we had to be touched by his ministry and to have had worked with him in many capacities, including in the Education Committee of the World Methodist Council (WMC). In the name of the Education Committee, we join a family of more than 800 educational institutions in nearly 80 countries, comprising a community of around 80 million people who call themselves Methodists, who now celebrate Professor Almir Maia’s life and reaffirm the words of Matthews: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthews 5:4).

It is with very great sadness that I have heard of the death of Professor Almir de Souza Maia. He was one of the founder members of IAMSCU and a great supporter of the WMC Education Committee from its inception in 1991 onwards. He had a great understanding of the role of education not only as an important socialising force and a key to world development, but also as having a crucial role to play in developing leaders for the church and for the world. He was himself a great leader in South America.

-Revd Dr John BarrettMethodist Church in Britain

We as UBS Community are sad to hear the sudden passing away of Dr. Almir Maia. We do remember his family in our prayers. We praise God for his life and leadership to the WME Education Committee. Please convey our deepest condolence to the family.